The New Thinkery

In this Fourth of July edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by Dr. Michael P. Zuckert, the Nancy R. Dreux Professor of Political Science, Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. Together, the group discuss both Abraham Lincoln's and Henry Clay's achievements in American politics. Plus: a sneak peek at the forthcoming book A Nation so Conceived: Lincoln & Democratic Sovereignty. 

In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys follow up last week's episode on Alcibiades with Plutarch's paired work on the life of Coriolanus. The guys discuss the similarities and key differences between the two men as Plutarch sees them. 

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys begin an analysis of Plutarch's Parallel Lives, specifically diving into the life of Alcibiades. The guys discuss Alcibiades' life, philosophy, and why everyone seemed to have great affection for him, even Socrates.

In this week's edition of The New Thinkery, the guys dive into the work of Leo Strauss, one of the foremost political philosophy professors of the twentieth century. Strauss was and continues to be so influential that Straussianism is a common phrase in academic circles. So, what exactly is Straussianism?

In this edition of The New Thinkery, the guys are joined by William Kristol, founder and editor-at-large of The Weekly Standard and now editor-at-large of The Bulwark.  Hear about his upbringing and education, during which he encountered and studied with some of the greats of contemporary political thought, including Allan Bloom and Harvey Mansfield.  We also discuss his initiatives to preserve and promote the serious study of political philosophy.  Check out Contemporary Thinkers, Great Thinkers, and his podcast Conversations to learn more.

In this week's edition of The New Thinkery the guys break away from philosophy to take a deep dive into Joseph Conrad's Typhoon. The group discuss everything from the text's themes to its literary devices. Finally, they close with discussion on why one would read literary works to better understand philosophy.

In the seventh installment of an ongoing series breaking down Plato's Symposium, the guys begin to dissect Socrates' speech on love, how Socrates attempted to subvert the format of the speeches, and analyze the details surrounding the speeches preceding Socrates. 

In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Professor Jeff Sikkenga, Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center (Greg's boss) and a professor of political science. Together, the group analyze Tocqueville's view of democracy as a form of government and the nuances in his position.

In this episode of The New Thinkery, the guys interview Dr. Charles Butterworth, Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Who better to discuss Alfarabi's Book of Religion than the very person to translate it to English‽ Plus: Dr. Butterworth lightly touches on another of Alfarabi's works: Enumeration of the Sciences. 

This week's episode is a recording of a live conversation at the Association for Core Texts and Courses (ACTC).  The guys discuss Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "Discourse on the Sciences and Arts," also known as the "First Discourse," and podcasting great texts in the history of political philosophy.  They also take live questions from the audience. Many thanks to Charlotte Thomas, Executive Director of the ACTC and Professor of Philosophy at Mercer University, for having us!  Be sure to check out the great work they do by visiting www.coretexts.org.